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ENLIGHTENMENT During the Enlightenment Period many ideas that influenced the Framers of the United States Government developed. These ideas are seen in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Enlightenment Philosophers John Locke – natural rights, purpose of government Montesquieu – separation of power, checks & balances
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Thomas Hobbes 1588-1679 Author of Leviathan Laid the foundation of social contract theory English
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Thomas Hobbes/State of Nature Believed that a strong central government was needed to keep order and save man from himself. Man in a State of Nature had the right to everything This led to continuous war and violence in society. Thomas Hobbes
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In such condition, there is no place for industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no culture of the earth; no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea; no commodious building; no instruments of moving, and removing, such things as require much force; no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. In such condition, there is no place for industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no culture of the earth; no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea; no commodious building; no instruments of moving, and removing, such things as require much force; no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. -Thomas Hobbes on Man in a State of Nature
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Hobbes/Sovereign Authority People give up the right to make rules for themselves (sovereignty) to a greater sovereign (government) It was the greater sovereign’s duty to use that power to ensure order and peace through any means needed
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Hobbes on Social Contract
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Thomas Hobbes State of Nature Sovereign Authority Absolute Monarchy NO Separation of Powers People give up rights to government in order to live in civil society
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John Locke 1632-1704 Developed Social Contract Theory Tabula Rasa Wrote “Two Treatises of Government” Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Property Natural Rights
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John Locke/ Tabula Rasa Means “Blank Slate” Who people become is based on their upbringing If a person is good it is because of how they are raised If people are bad it is because of how they are raised People are not “good” or “evil” it is the actions they take based on the course of their lives
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John Locke/Natural Rights Human nature characterized by reason and tolerance but also selfishness In their natural state humans have the right to defend life, liberty, health, and possessions These he believed were natural rights
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Natural Rights Natural Rights = Inalienable Rights Rights that government cannot take away from you because they are given to you by god Or You have them simply because you exist
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John Locke/ Social Contract Humans develop government to settle disputes peacefully and protect their natural rights From other governments and each other
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Locke vs Hobbes Social Contract
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John Locke/Limiting Government While government was necessary to protecting natural rights If government began infringing on those natural rights people had a right AND an obligation to overthrow that government
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John Locke Developed Social Contract Theory Tabula Rasa Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Property Natural Rights Right to Revolution Limiting Government
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Baron de Montesquieu 1689-1755 French Wrote “The Spirit of the Laws” Developed idea of Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances
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Baron de Montesquieu Three types of government: Monarchy: Based on Laws or Honor Republic: Based on Virtue Despotism: Enslaved people ruled by fear
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Political Liberty To have Political Liberty/Freedom you must have three things 1. Separation of Powers 2. Appropriate Civil and Criminal Law 3. Preservation of Natural Rights 4. Rule of Law
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Separation of Powers Executive Legislative Judicial Checks and Balances
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Rule of Law
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Jean-Jacques Rousseau Swiss 1712-1778 Believed that civilization corrupted man, no that man was corrupt then became civilized
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Hobbes vs Rousseau Hobbes: Man is bad, Man doesn’t know how good he has it under government Rousseau: Man is good, government and civilization corrupt him and make him bad
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The first man who, having fenced in a piece of land, said "This is mine," and found people naïve enough to believe him, that man was the true founder of civil society. From how many crimes, wars, and murders, from how many horrors and misfortunes might not any one have saved mankind, by pulling up the stakes, or filling up the ditch, and crying to his fellows: Beware of listening to this impostor; you are undone if you once forget that the fruits of the earth belong to us all, and the earth itself to nobody. ” — Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Discourse on Inequality, 1754 Discourse on Inequality Discourse on Inequality
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Jean-Jacques Rousseau The best time in man’s existence was when man had developed enough knowledge to separate himself from the animals; but before he developed enough knowledge to develop civilization
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State of Nature Is an animal bad when it attacks another animal? Or is it doing what instinct tell it to do? Man in State of Nature Man is neither good nor bad in a State of Nature, he just does what he must to survive
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Civilization Corrupts Man Man in his State of Nature is happy Civilization develops pride which cases man to compare himself to others This causes inequality, envy, and greed; all unnatural behaviors that corrupt man
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Rousseau’s Social Contract
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